How is life as a doctor in Singapore?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Actually it costs around 500k + He is postgrad so only 4 years + he isn't paying 500k upfront. He is also gonnn be in HK most likely so financially it seems to work out. Too much effort for me tho id just invest what i have and work until im fired

That's my plan too - it's unlikely that i will quit voluntarily
But i would probably bet on 2026
Seeing no recovery in sight - probably they will just do another round of mass layoff then i will hop
If nothing happened or market pick-up, I would just stay

I think of it as a backup plan to another recession (or the moment i am let go as i cannot originate 500 client meetings a year and bring in 10m revenue for my company)

I also see the opportunity cost of giving up 400k job - but if the job is gone then tbh ur opportunity cost is very low unless u are confident of finding a similar tier job (which i highly doubt achievable myself)

The bro above went from med to law and now is a local partner
So i think the other way round also make sense if it is about the long game[/QUOTE]



Private psych here. 3 years of experience as an AC before going private. Making around 380k a year working under a private group.

Honestly you shouldn’t be thinking negatively about what happens if you get retrenched. You should strive to remain competitive in your current role. You shouldn’t overthink and use med as backup plan.

Negative thinking will easily lead to negative outcomes. Med should never be in your consideration at all.

Manage your anxiety and this will allow you to cope better in your role. Don’t think of what happens if you get retrenched. Think about striving positively.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

How come so many of you are talking like 300k, 400k p.a is a lot?

It's small beans these days considering inflation and the price of things.

I am surprised there is a "banker bro" here wanting to go to med school in his 40s and get this.....FOR MONEY??

How beh kan are you "banker bro"?

Point is, if you want to make more money, you got to think how to actually get the money in. Banker is not a field where you do not have such opportunities. Neither is medicine.

But it is not about how good a doctor you are, help people that sort of BS. You need to know where the money is, find it and chase it. Much of this is not technical skills. It's sales and soft skills.

Just don't make the mistake of having the "righteous", "ethical", "moral", "do the right thing", "should be", sort of thinking.

Money is money. Find it. Chase it.

Very good point here imo. Any sector with high earning professionals has definite upside potential or the potential to become rich. U have to identify the niche and chase it. Aesthetic doctors range from 250k-xxxx amount, GPs also have a huge range beause of differences in business acumen

Banker bro, I have seen many people who were doing residency in their 50s. But not for the money.
Medicine is not the back up plan at your age for money, bro. Medicine is a long game, and you are not a spring chicken anymore.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

That's my plan too - it's unlikely that i will quit voluntarily
But i would probably bet on 2026
Seeing no recovery in sight - probably they will just do another round of mass layoff then i will hop
If nothing happened or market pick-up, I would just stay

I think of it as a backup plan to another recession (or the moment i am let go as i cannot originate 500 client meetings a year and bring in 10m revenue for my company)

I also see the opportunity cost of giving up 400k job - but if the job is gone then tbh ur opportunity cost is very low unless u are confident of finding a similar tier job (which i highly doubt achievable myself)

The bro above went from med to law and now is a local partner
So i think the other way round also make sense if it is about the long game

Private psych here. 3 years of experience as an AC before going private. Making around 380k a year working under a private group.

Honestly you shouldn’t be thinking negatively about what happens if you get retrenched. You should strive to remain competitive in your current role. You shouldn’t overthink and use med as backup plan.

Negative thinking will easily lead to negative outcomes. Med should never be in your consideration at all.

Manage your anxiety and this will allow you to cope better in your role. Don’t think of what happens if you get retrenched. Think about striving positively.[/QUOTE]
Bro sorry I did not make my logic clear earlier.
What I meant as back up is more like what I want to do after I lose my job.

I should put it this way - I don't really enjoy my job now because all reasons above (long hours, no stability, everyday worrying about tomorrow, etc.). Our industry is designed in a way winner takes all. 80-90% people will be weeded out and work at "clients" for a big 4 accountant equivalent salary and the remaining will make 1m.

If I am 22 now, I will definitely quit right away to do med. At my age, I am still keen to do because it is a long game. But realistically I know I cannot make to surgery with my profile / age and IM is very tolling for someone whose body has been completely destroyed by 10-2am daily for 7-9 years. I think psych is good for me for the lifestyle and I have come through life seeing people with stress (in fact I am also being stressed daily but I am coping with it ok) or other mental problems.

Would say I want to do med a lot more - its about something I want to do for next 20 years, stable income and regular hours once AC or private. Doing and learning something meaningful. I got diagnosed OSA in my 20s and also started seriously treating my rhinitis. Can say even a normal doctor who helped my life problem has made more impact to me than anyone else at work in my life. People say don't use Dr. Google, but I wish I have more knowledge about my health problems earlier - maybe I can still read medical articles a few hours a week but then why don't just do an mbbs if that interests me.

Its more like at my age - giving up everything to make the switch is not very worth vs alternative
- If I am let go, the opportunity cost will be low, and I can probably study and work abroad living a less stressful life (I know SG MOPEX etc. are tolling)
- I am saving more for the education cost and loss of income, combined with severance will give me a comfortable safety net a few years
- There is no guarantee I can get into psych (i read it is one of the easier specialty to get in but seems that in western countries it has become harder to get in post-covid as more people realize there is big demand for mental health and psych is less tolling than other specialties)

My performance at work is not bad - but after so many years in this industry seeing so many of my co-workers were let go despite they are hard working and capable make me wonder what is the next step. It is not a place you hustle and you can survive forever.

I have thought about other alternatives like returning to school to do a phd in business / finance and teach, etc. But I can tell u it is not just about money for my decision. I just feel I would become more mentally fulfilling being a doctor than being a university professor or move to a GLC as one of the cogs that push paper daily.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Private psych here. 3 years of experience as an AC before going private. Making around 380k a year working under a private group.

Honestly you shouldn’t be thinking negatively about what happens if you get retrenched. You should strive to remain competitive in your current role. You shouldn’t overthink and use med as backup plan.

Negative thinking will easily lead to negative outcomes. Med should never be in your consideration at all.

Manage your anxiety and this will allow you to cope better in your role. Don’t think of what happens if you get retrenched. Think about striving positively.

Bro sorry I did not make my logic clear earlier.
What I meant as back up is more like what I want to do after I lose my job.

I should put it this way - I don't really enjoy my job now because all reasons above (long hours, no stability, everyday worrying about tomorrow, etc.). Our industry is designed in a way winner takes all. 80-90% people will be weeded out and work at "clients" for a big 4 accountant equivalent salary and the remaining will make 1m.

If I am 22 now, I will definitely quit right away to do med. At my age, I am still keen to do because it is a long game. But realistically I know I cannot make to surgery with my profile / age and IM is very tolling for someone whose body has been completely destroyed by 10-2am daily for 7-9 years. I think psych is good for me for the lifestyle and I have come through life seeing people with stress (in fact I am also being stressed daily but I am coping with it ok) or other mental problems.

Would say I want to do med a lot more - its about something I want to do for next 20 years, stable income and regular hours once AC or private. Doing and learning something meaningful. I got diagnosed OSA in my 20s and also started seriously treating my rhinitis. Can say even a normal doctor who helped my life problem has made more impact to me than anyone else at work in my life. People say don't use Dr. Google, but I wish I have more knowledge about my health problems earlier - maybe I can still read medical articles a few hours a week but then why don't just do an mbbs if that interests me.

Its more like at my age - giving up everything to make the switch is not very worth vs alternative
- If I am let go, the opportunity cost will be low, and I can probably study and work abroad living a less stressful life (I know SG MOPEX etc. are tolling)
- I am saving more for the education cost and loss of income, combined with severance will give me a comfortable safety net a few years
- There is no guarantee I can get into psych (i read it is one of the easier specialty to get in but seems that in western countries it has become harder to get in post-covid as more people realize there is big demand for mental health and psych is less tolling than other specialties)

My performance at work is not bad - but after so many years in this industry seeing so many of my co-workers were let go despite they are hard working and capable make me wonder what is the next step. It is not a place you hustle and you can survive forever.

I have thought about other alternatives like returning to school to do a phd in business / finance and teach, etc. But I can tell u it is not just about money for my decision. I just feel I would become more mentally fulfilling being a doctor than being a university professor or move to a GLC as one of the cogs that push paper daily.[/QUOTE]


It’s good to see that you have passion for medicine- that’s gonna help you survive through med school and the initial slog.

I would recommend you to choose the UK given your background. It’s less stressful training there. Shifts are capped at 12 hours and you have a generous annual leave policy. It will set you back around 500k in education cost but you should be able to handle that if you have some nest egg saved up/stock dividends to help tide you over the study years.

In terms of psych training, it’s still relatively easy to get into because it’s solely based on 1 written MCQ assessment which you can prepare well for. Don’t be deterred by the large application numbers-many are just applying for fun as a backup to their main choice.

The career runway for psych is also very long- my boss is nearing his 80s and he’s still going strong. Seeing patients and giving seminar talks occasionally. Although he intends to sell his practice to some of my colleagues eventually.

Earnings in private psych is relatively good- you get paid 350-400k a year working under a group working 9-5/5 days a week. and upwards of 500k a year if you set up your own clinic. Most psychiatrists value lifestyle so it’s rare so they choose to sacrifice a bit of their income for less hours. But it’s possible to make over 700k a year if you work hard (6 days a week+ tele consultations). I know of some peers doing that.

The main advantage of psych is that there’s many private opportunities even if you exit as an AC. That’s what most people won’t tell you unless they are a specialist. Most surgical/IM specialities require you to accumulate years of experience (usually at least 5) as a C in PHI, before you can reliably set up your shop/join a private group. The upfront cost of a psych practice is actually even lower than a GP clinic. So it’s quite easy for you to set up your own psych clinic.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Bro sorry I did not make my logic clear earlier.
What I meant as back up is more like what I want to do after I lose my job.

I should put it this way - I don't really enjoy my job now because all reasons above (long hours, no stability, everyday worrying about tomorrow, etc.). Our industry is designed in a way winner takes all. 80-90% people will be weeded out and work at "clients" for a big 4 accountant equivalent salary and the remaining will make 1m.

If I am 22 now, I will definitely quit right away to do med. At my age, I am still keen to do because it is a long game. But realistically I know I cannot make to surgery with my profile / age and IM is very tolling for someone whose body has been completely destroyed by 10-2am daily for 7-9 years. I think psych is good for me for the lifestyle and I have come through life seeing people with stress (in fact I am also being stressed daily but I am coping with it ok) or other mental problems.

Would say I want to do med a lot more - its about something I want to do for next 20 years, stable income and regular hours once AC or private. Doing and learning something meaningful. I got diagnosed OSA in my 20s and also started seriously treating my rhinitis. Can say even a normal doctor who helped my life problem has made more impact to me than anyone else at work in my life. People say don't use Dr. Google, but I wish I have more knowledge about my health problems earlier - maybe I can still read medical articles a few hours a week but then why don't just do an mbbs if that interests me.

Its more like at my age - giving up everything to make the switch is not very worth vs alternative
- If I am let go, the opportunity cost will be low, and I can probably study and work abroad living a less stressful life (I know SG MOPEX etc. are tolling)
- I am saving more for the education cost and loss of income, combined with severance will give me a comfortable safety net a few years
- There is no guarantee I can get into psych (i read it is one of the easier specialty to get in but seems that in western countries it has become harder to get in post-covid as more people realize there is big demand for mental health and psych is less tolling than other specialties)

My performance at work is not bad - but after so many years in this industry seeing so many of my co-workers were let go despite they are hard working and capable make me wonder what is the next step. It is not a place you hustle and you can survive forever.

I have thought about other alternatives like returning to school to do a phd in business / finance and teach, etc. But I can tell u it is not just about money for my decision. I just feel I would become more mentally fulfilling being a doctor than being a university professor or move to a GLC as one of the cogs that push paper daily.

It’s good to see that you have passion for medicine- that’s gonna help you survive through med school and the initial slog.

I would recommend you to choose the UK given your background. It’s less stressful training there. Shifts are capped at 12 hours and you have a generous annual leave policy. It will set you back around 500k in education cost but you should be able to handle that if you have some nest egg saved up/stock dividends to help tide you over the study years.

In terms of psych training, it’s still relatively easy to get into because it’s solely based on 1 written MCQ assessment which you can prepare well for. Don’t be deterred by the large application numbers-many are just applying for fun as a backup to their main choice.

The career runway for psych is also very long- my boss is nearing his 80s and he’s still going strong. Seeing patients and giving seminar talks occasionally. Although he intends to sell his practice to some of my colleagues eventually.

Earnings in private psych is relatively good- you get paid 350-400k a year working under a group working 9-5/5 days a week. and upwards of 500k a year if you set up your own clinic. Most psychiatrists value lifestyle so it’s rare so they choose to sacrifice a bit of their income for less hours. But it’s possible to make over 700k a year if you work hard (6 days a week+ tele consultations). I know of some peers doing that.

The main advantage of psych is that there’s many private opportunities even if you exit as an AC. That’s what most people won’t tell you unless they are a specialist. Most surgical/IM specialities require you to accumulate years of experience (usually at least 5) as a C in PHI, before you can reliably set up your shop/join a private group. The upfront cost of a psych practice is actually even lower than a GP clinic. So it’s quite easy for you to set up your own psych clinic.[/QUOTE]

please may i get more information of the MCQ assessment for psychiatry residency application? how many questions and how long is the exam? thank you.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

It’s good to see that you have passion for medicine- that’s gonna help you survive through med school and the initial slog.

I would recommend you to choose the UK given your background. It’s less stressful training there. Shifts are capped at 12 hours and you have a generous annual leave policy. It will set you back around 500k in education cost but you should be able to handle that if you have some nest egg saved up/stock dividends to help tide you over the study years.

In terms of psych training, it’s still relatively easy to get into because it’s solely based on 1 written MCQ assessment which you can prepare well for. Don’t be deterred by the large application numbers-many are just applying for fun as a backup to their main choice.

The career runway for psych is also very long- my boss is nearing his 80s and he’s still going strong. Seeing patients and giving seminar talks occasionally. Although he intends to sell his practice to some of my colleagues eventually.

Earnings in private psych is relatively good- you get paid 350-400k a year working under a group working 9-5/5 days a week. and upwards of 500k a year if you set up your own clinic. Most psychiatrists value lifestyle so it’s rare so they choose to sacrifice a bit of their income for less hours. But it’s possible to make over 700k a year if you work hard (6 days a week+ tele consultations). I know of some peers doing that.

The main advantage of psych is that there’s many private opportunities even if you exit as an AC. That’s what most people won’t tell you unless they are a specialist. Most surgical/IM specialities require you to accumulate years of experience (usually at least 5) as a C in PHI, before you can reliably set up your shop/join a private group. The upfront cost of a psych practice is actually even lower than a GP clinic. So it’s quite easy for you to set up your own psych clinic.

please may i get more information of the MCQ assessment for psychiatry residency application? how many questions and how long is the exam? thank you.[/QUOTE]

I don’t know about SG because I trained in UK, before returning back to SG as an AC. It’s the MSRA. You can find sample questions on the website. GP/Psych training selection is 100% based on the results from that exam.

Is psych residency competitive to get in in SG?

It’s good to see that you have passion for medicine- that’s gonna help you survive through med school and the initial slog.

I would recommend you to choose the UK given your background. It’s less stressful training there. Shifts are capped at 12 hours and you have a generous annual leave policy. It will set you back around 500k in education cost but you should be able to handle that if you have some nest egg saved up/stock dividends to help tide you over the study years.

In terms of psych training, it’s still relatively easy to get into because it’s solely based on 1 written MCQ assessment which you can prepare well for. Don’t be deterred by the large application numbers-many are just applying for fun as a backup to their main choice.

The career runway for psych is also very long- my boss is nearing his 80s and he’s still going strong. Seeing patients and giving seminar talks occasionally. Although he intends to sell his practice to some of my colleagues eventually.

Earnings in private psych is relatively good- you get paid 350-400k a year working under a group working 9-5/5 days a week. and upwards of 500k a year if you set up your own clinic. Most psychiatrists value lifestyle so it’s rare so they choose to sacrifice a bit of their income for less hours. But it’s possible to make over 700k a year if you work hard (6 days a week+ tele consultations). I know of some peers doing that.

The main advantage of psych is that there’s many private opportunities even if you exit as an AC. That’s what most people won’t tell you unless they are a specialist. Most surgical/IM specialities require you to accumulate years of experience (usually at least 5) as a C in PHI, before you can reliably set up your shop/join a private group. The upfront cost of a psych practice is actually even lower than a GP clinic. So it’s quite easy for you to set up your own psych clinic.

Hey bro, thanks a lot for your reply!

Just one more question and not sure if that sounds stupid to u. So I feel psych is suitable for me for reasons above and I am really keen to do it so I would probably work on that as well.

If I do the UK route, I would probably also focus on both MSRA and EC/research (psych in UK is MSRA only but seems many IMG from South Asia apply it as a non-GP backup for NTN, skewing up the competition ratio to crazy level now; and I plan to also try if I can do ACF in psych - run-through with no worry on training spot + free time to research / teach).

But bro do you gradually lose general medical knowledge over time working as a psych? I wonder if I will eventually unable to review people who are physically ill. I was grateful one of the GPs suggest I have OSA (I am not obese and saw 3-4 GP, tested blood, thyroid, etc. and took many turns to find a doc who suggested this). After I become psych I think I won't work on these cases anymore but I wonder if we still retain the knowledge to see or advise our patients / family or friends that they may have some health issues that need to speak to someone.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Hey bro, thanks a lot for your reply!

Just one more question and not sure if that sounds stupid to u. So I feel psych is suitable for me for reasons above and I am really keen to do it so I would probably work on that as well.

If I do the UK route, I would probably also focus on both MSRA and EC/research (psych in UK is MSRA only but seems many IMG from South Asia apply it as a non-GP backup for NTN, skewing up the competition ratio to crazy level now; and I plan to also try if I can do ACF in psych - run-through with no worry on training spot + free time to research / teach).

But bro do you gradually lose general medical knowledge over time working as a psych? I wonder if I will eventually unable to review people who are physically ill. I was grateful one of the GPs suggest I have OSA (I am not obese and saw 3-4 GP, tested blood, thyroid, etc. and took many turns to find a doc who suggested this). After I become psych I think I won't work on these cases anymore but I wonder if we still retain the knowledge to see or advise our patients / family or friends that they may have some health issues that need to speak to someone.

General medical knowledge is hard to forget if you actually didn’t slack off during med school. Physical examination skills yes. I haven’t done a physical examination on patients for many years already. Would say that those psych docs in PHI have better general medical knowledge than us in private, because many of them are involved in teaching medical students as well.

Half of the private psych patient population come to us due to fear of being stigmatised by a public mental health record, while the other half are referred by private GPs.

Anxiety, depression and addiction disorders form the bulk of the cases.